Commuters using the Chennai Metro Rail’s shuttle services between the Pallavaram parking facility and the Chennai airport (Tirusulam) station have raised concerns over waiting time, lack of queue regulation and the circuitous route the vehicles currently take.
Since February, CMRL has been operating share-autos from the multi-level parking lot at Pallavaram to provide last-mile connectivity. The service is used every day by hundreds of passengers travelling from areas such as Tambaram, Selaiyur, Chitlapakkam, Pammal and Pozhichalur. While the facility has eased access to the Metro, several challenges continue, users say.
Crowding during rush hour
CMRL presently operates four share-autos that can hold up to 10 passengers each, beginning early in the morning and going on until 9 p.m. Commuters however say overcrowding during peak hours, particularly by return in the evening at Tirusulum, has become routine.
Though a self-regulated queue is followed at the Pallavaram pick-up point, the same system is absent at the Tirusulam Metro station, leading to disorderly boarding.
